First off- A few people have asked about donating to CRHP. Absolutely! Just go to their website (you can just type in Jamkhed into Google) and I think it’s the first cite that comes up. They have an online donation link. I promise your money will be used very well and help the good work they do here.
I think I left off about a week ago prior to the snake charmer….it was quite interesting. He had 2 cobras, an Indian rat snake (they bite, but don’t worry, not poisonous) and then 2 other snakes that both look alike (don’t worry, only one is poisonous…you just better know which one). He did some magic tricks and then brought out the cobras – SCARY, especially when they loose their grip and the snakes go a flying. Anyway, we all survived.
On Wednesday we went to CRHP’s farm. They grow food (most of what we eat comes directly from there) and have livestock but also use it as a training area for villagers wanting to get more into farming. It was neat to see and its been a pretty successful venture, in the past 2 years they have started making some profit and are now using some of the acres for more high-tech farming like cotton. After a tour we had the opportunity to ride a tractor or bullock-cart. Due to the fact that I am well-versed in driving a tractor thanks to our place in the country, I choose the bullock-cart (cart pulled by ox). It was a lot of fun and those ox actually go pretty fast! After we sat for snack and tea and heard from one of the women who works the farm. Quite an amazing story. She was married at 15, her husband had AIDS and died when she was 18 but not before giving her AIDS. She did not know until she was pregnant. Then her baby died because she could not support it. After all this she attempted suicide. It was at this point that someone brought her to CRHP. They treated her with medicine and gave her a job. 6 years later she is thriving, basically running the farm, and raising her sister’s daughter. She is so beautiful and tells her story so non-challantly considering what she has been through. She is only 24. Incredible that she has lived such a hard life and is still so young. It really puts your own life and hardships (or lack thereof…) into perspective. Really a moving experience.
Friday I gave my presentation on living with physical disabilities in a rural village and that night in celebration of the 4th of July we had a party! Apple crumble and great food (almost like Thanksgiving, mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey). We even sang the National Anthem in honor. They also had a little fireworks show which was great, plus we had our own little dance party through people’s i-pods (side note: I didn’t realize before I left that my i-pod is in fact BROKEN and no longer runs on charge, only works when plugged into speakers which is how I had been using it at home…sad).
This weekend we went to Aurangabad to visit the Ellora Caves and an awesome fort, amazing. Its about a 4 hour drive from Jamkhed. The Caves were all built between 600 – 1000 AD by different religions (Jain, Buddhism, and Hindu). One of the caves has the World’s largest monolithic sculpture that was made from the rock over 150 years. The next day we went for a hike up to the top of the hilltop fortress – Daulatabad. So cool, the best way to describe is that I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie. Draw bridges, dark caves led by torch-light, tons of bats, secret passage ways to stop invaders. Plus it had amazing views of the surrounding area. There was a hilarious (and terrifying) incident with a red-faced monkey. We had been warned that they are mean and were shown that first hand when one of the guys in our group tried to get next to it for a picture and it came after him. Then it saw another person with a plastic bag…went up to the guy, ripped open the bag, growled at the guy, took out a bag of chips, and proceeded to go to a tree and eat the bag. It was quite funny except that he was running in my direction and I was a bit scared. Anyway, it was truly a great weekend ending last night in me watching my first Cricket game on TV. It was the Asia Finals, India against Sri Lanka, unfortunately India lost. I think I got the basics finally so I can join in some of the games we have been playing with the local guys.
Hard to believe I leave Jamkhed a week from tomorrow! The time has gone so fast and meant so much. We have most of our travel plans set for after so I’m getting very excited about being back on the road (a little more well-versed in “Indian Travel” this time around). After meeting Kelly in Mumbai we are heading with a Brit gal from my group (and her friend she’s meeting) to a “hill town” outside the city for a couple of days. A hill town is basically what it sounds like and is said to be really pretty during monsoon time. Then we are back in Mumbai for a few days before heading north to Rajasthan. We have 2 days in Udaipur and 2 days in Jaipur (one of the places I was supposed to visit on my original tour but did not get to because of the protests).
I think I left off about a week ago prior to the snake charmer….it was quite interesting. He had 2 cobras, an Indian rat snake (they bite, but don’t worry, not poisonous) and then 2 other snakes that both look alike (don’t worry, only one is poisonous…you just better know which one). He did some magic tricks and then brought out the cobras – SCARY, especially when they loose their grip and the snakes go a flying. Anyway, we all survived.
On Wednesday we went to CRHP’s farm. They grow food (most of what we eat comes directly from there) and have livestock but also use it as a training area for villagers wanting to get more into farming. It was neat to see and its been a pretty successful venture, in the past 2 years they have started making some profit and are now using some of the acres for more high-tech farming like cotton. After a tour we had the opportunity to ride a tractor or bullock-cart. Due to the fact that I am well-versed in driving a tractor thanks to our place in the country, I choose the bullock-cart (cart pulled by ox). It was a lot of fun and those ox actually go pretty fast! After we sat for snack and tea and heard from one of the women who works the farm. Quite an amazing story. She was married at 15, her husband had AIDS and died when she was 18 but not before giving her AIDS. She did not know until she was pregnant. Then her baby died because she could not support it. After all this she attempted suicide. It was at this point that someone brought her to CRHP. They treated her with medicine and gave her a job. 6 years later she is thriving, basically running the farm, and raising her sister’s daughter. She is so beautiful and tells her story so non-challantly considering what she has been through. She is only 24. Incredible that she has lived such a hard life and is still so young. It really puts your own life and hardships (or lack thereof…) into perspective. Really a moving experience.
Friday I gave my presentation on living with physical disabilities in a rural village and that night in celebration of the 4th of July we had a party! Apple crumble and great food (almost like Thanksgiving, mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey). We even sang the National Anthem in honor. They also had a little fireworks show which was great, plus we had our own little dance party through people’s i-pods (side note: I didn’t realize before I left that my i-pod is in fact BROKEN and no longer runs on charge, only works when plugged into speakers which is how I had been using it at home…sad).
This weekend we went to Aurangabad to visit the Ellora Caves and an awesome fort, amazing. Its about a 4 hour drive from Jamkhed. The Caves were all built between 600 – 1000 AD by different religions (Jain, Buddhism, and Hindu). One of the caves has the World’s largest monolithic sculpture that was made from the rock over 150 years. The next day we went for a hike up to the top of the hilltop fortress – Daulatabad. So cool, the best way to describe is that I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie. Draw bridges, dark caves led by torch-light, tons of bats, secret passage ways to stop invaders. Plus it had amazing views of the surrounding area. There was a hilarious (and terrifying) incident with a red-faced monkey. We had been warned that they are mean and were shown that first hand when one of the guys in our group tried to get next to it for a picture and it came after him. Then it saw another person with a plastic bag…went up to the guy, ripped open the bag, growled at the guy, took out a bag of chips, and proceeded to go to a tree and eat the bag. It was quite funny except that he was running in my direction and I was a bit scared. Anyway, it was truly a great weekend ending last night in me watching my first Cricket game on TV. It was the Asia Finals, India against Sri Lanka, unfortunately India lost. I think I got the basics finally so I can join in some of the games we have been playing with the local guys.
Hard to believe I leave Jamkhed a week from tomorrow! The time has gone so fast and meant so much. We have most of our travel plans set for after so I’m getting very excited about being back on the road (a little more well-versed in “Indian Travel” this time around). After meeting Kelly in Mumbai we are heading with a Brit gal from my group (and her friend she’s meeting) to a “hill town” outside the city for a couple of days. A hill town is basically what it sounds like and is said to be really pretty during monsoon time. Then we are back in Mumbai for a few days before heading north to Rajasthan. We have 2 days in Udaipur and 2 days in Jaipur (one of the places I was supposed to visit on my original tour but did not get to because of the protests).
1 comment:
Sarah,
I love reading your posts! Can't wait to hear about everything. In case India isn't abuzz with the news - Courtney had her baby! Avery Grace - she's beautiful. Miss you tons!
xoxo,
Lauren
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